Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. Across 1000 miles of Oregon desert his assassins, the notorious Eli and Charlies Sisters, ride - fighting, shooting, and drinking their way to Sacramento. But their prey isn't an easy mark, the road is long and bloody, and somewhere along the path Eli begins to question what he does for a living - and whom he does it for. The Sisters Brothers pays homage to the classic Western, transforming it into an unforgettable ribald tour de force. Filled with a remarkable cast of losers, cheaters, and ne'er-do-wells from all stripes of life-and told by a complex and compelling narrator, it is a violent, lustful odyssey through the underworld of the 1850s frontier that beautifully captures the humor, melancholy, and grit of the Old West and two brothers bound by blood, violence, and love.
The Sisters Brothers
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Review
'The Sisters Brothers confirms deWitt as one of the most talented young writers around' --Sunday Times
'Superb ... deWitt has ensured another unforgettable pair their place in fictive lore' --Sunday Telegraph
'so good, so funny and so sad' --Irish Times
`A stylistically impressive, darkly comic reworking of the traditional western' --Metro
'A witty noir Don Quixote ... A blackly comic fable about emptiness, lonliness and the hollow lure of gold'
--Financial Times
'gripping and heart-wrenching' --Guardian
`Wonderfully funny and original' --Spectator
'The Sisters Brothers is intermittently moving, consistently very funny, and above all, original' --New Statesman
'A powerfully realized work ... the dialogue is sharp as a whip' --Times Literary Supplement
'A masterclass on the twists of the mind and heart'
--Scotsman
'A stunningly accomplished book ... deWitt is on his way to greatness' --Dazed & Confused
`Bursting with vitality and driven along by a terrific pulpy energy' --Herald
'A lyrical homage to the classic western ... this has the makings of a cult outrider' --Time Out
'deWitt's book is inventive and has a smart line in dark humour' --Observer
`Extremely well written and very funny' --Big Issue
'Superb ... deWitt has ensured another unforgettable pair their place in fictive lore' --Sunday Telegraph
'so good, so funny and so sad' --Irish Times
`A stylistically impressive, darkly comic reworking of the traditional western' --Metro
'A witty noir Don Quixote ... A blackly comic fable about emptiness, lonliness and the hollow lure of gold'
--Financial Times
'gripping and heart-wrenching' --Guardian
`Wonderfully funny and original' --Spectator
'The Sisters Brothers is intermittently moving, consistently very funny, and above all, original' --New Statesman
'A powerfully realized work ... the dialogue is sharp as a whip' --Times Literary Supplement
'A masterclass on the twists of the mind and heart'
--Scotsman
'A stunningly accomplished book ... deWitt is on his way to greatness' --Dazed & Confused
`Bursting with vitality and driven along by a terrific pulpy energy' --Herald
'A lyrical homage to the classic western ... this has the makings of a cult outrider' --Time Out
'deWitt's book is inventive and has a smart line in dark humour' --Observer
`Extremely well written and very funny' --Big Issue
About the Author
Patrick deWitt's first novel Ablutions was a huge critical success. Born in British Columbia, he has also lived in California, Washington, and Oregon, where he currently resides with his wife and son.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
152 of 157 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I've been having a run on Western stories this year - from Elmore Leonard's early stuff to Joe R.Lansdale's modernist take on east Texas. I came across The Sisters Brothers completely by chance, but the arresting title and great cover held me up, so I took a punt on it.
And what a punt it was - one of the most enjoyable books I've read for a long time...perhaps even ever. Now having finished the book, I find myself missing Charlie and Eli Sisters - gunmen for hire during the 1850s Gold Rush. We follow them to San Francisco, where they're looking to assassinate the wonderfully named `thief' Herman Kermit Warm. But, things don't always go to plan for the Sisters boys...
The strength of this story lies in the rather deadpan delivery (narrated by Eli, the more thoughtful and conflicted of the two) between the brothers. The dialogues between the two - always bickering - is wonderfully constructed and loaded with meaning. In fact, I'd say the dialogues are as good as Leonard's and that's saying something.
This is not a gunslinging western in the Louis Lamour mould - this is a really darkly comic, human story. Other reviewers have stated that it would be perfect for a Coen brother's movie, and I absolutely agree. From Charlie's constant `brandy-sickness' to Eli's fondness for a busted-up horse that hates him, it's deliciously dark and vicious in its humour.
In short, I loved it. It is a relatively short read, but it's perfectly paced and weighted. The black humour isn't over-cooked and it never descends into farce, as such books are sometimes wont to do. I can't recommend this highly enough - I'd love to see it done justice on the big screen and it's one of the best couple of quid I've ever spent.
And what a punt it was - one of the most enjoyable books I've read for a long time...perhaps even ever. Now having finished the book, I find myself missing Charlie and Eli Sisters - gunmen for hire during the 1850s Gold Rush. We follow them to San Francisco, where they're looking to assassinate the wonderfully named `thief' Herman Kermit Warm. But, things don't always go to plan for the Sisters boys...
The strength of this story lies in the rather deadpan delivery (narrated by Eli, the more thoughtful and conflicted of the two) between the brothers. The dialogues between the two - always bickering - is wonderfully constructed and loaded with meaning. In fact, I'd say the dialogues are as good as Leonard's and that's saying something.
This is not a gunslinging western in the Louis Lamour mould - this is a really darkly comic, human story. Other reviewers have stated that it would be perfect for a Coen brother's movie, and I absolutely agree. From Charlie's constant `brandy-sickness' to Eli's fondness for a busted-up horse that hates him, it's deliciously dark and vicious in its humour.
In short, I loved it. It is a relatively short read, but it's perfectly paced and weighted. The black humour isn't over-cooked and it never descends into farce, as such books are sometimes wont to do. I can't recommend this highly enough - I'd love to see it done justice on the big screen and it's one of the best couple of quid I've ever spent.
72 of 76 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I first heard about The Sisters Brothers when it recently made it onto the Man Booker Longlist - perversely enough, it was all the mutterings about it not being a suitable nominee plus some irresistible cover lust which made me even keener to read it.
Firstly, a word of warning...this is not a pretty novel, it's set back in the 1850s during the California Gold Rush when men were men and horses didn't have whisperers. There are scenes of cruelty, to both animals and humans, so best to move on if this would detract from your reading enjoyment.
It is 1851, the Californian Gold Rush is in full swing and our narrator, Eli Sisters, hired killer, is accompanying his older brother Charlie on an eventful journey from Oregon to Sacramento, to track down and kill one Hermann Kermit Warm. Their quest has an epic feel to it as they encounter a range of wild and wonderful characters en route, think Don Quixote meets the Coen and Blues Brothers with a dash of Cormac Mc Carthy thrown in for good measure. Yet, it doesn't seem derivative and ends up being a really fresh, original piece of work - defying categorisation.
Eli is a psychopath with a (slight) conscience and therein lies the conflict between the brothers. Even as he relates their latest killing in his usual deadpan tone, you know his heart is no longer in it and he longs for a different life, even suggesting opening a store - Charlie is not particularly open to the idea... Their story is compelling but unsettling, dark but humorous and so cinematic, you can just visualise their adventures rolling onto the big screen.
A very special novel which will entertain a wide range of readers including those biblio-butterflies who like a change of genre every now and then.
Firstly, a word of warning...this is not a pretty novel, it's set back in the 1850s during the California Gold Rush when men were men and horses didn't have whisperers. There are scenes of cruelty, to both animals and humans, so best to move on if this would detract from your reading enjoyment.
It is 1851, the Californian Gold Rush is in full swing and our narrator, Eli Sisters, hired killer, is accompanying his older brother Charlie on an eventful journey from Oregon to Sacramento, to track down and kill one Hermann Kermit Warm. Their quest has an epic feel to it as they encounter a range of wild and wonderful characters en route, think Don Quixote meets the Coen and Blues Brothers with a dash of Cormac Mc Carthy thrown in for good measure. Yet, it doesn't seem derivative and ends up being a really fresh, original piece of work - defying categorisation.
Eli is a psychopath with a (slight) conscience and therein lies the conflict between the brothers. Even as he relates their latest killing in his usual deadpan tone, you know his heart is no longer in it and he longs for a different life, even suggesting opening a store - Charlie is not particularly open to the idea... Their story is compelling but unsettling, dark but humorous and so cinematic, you can just visualise their adventures rolling onto the big screen.
A very special novel which will entertain a wide range of readers including those biblio-butterflies who like a change of genre every now and then.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Steed
Format:Kindle Edition
I was sold on this book being a dark comedy and although it is a wonderfully entertaining read (no doubt about that), the comedy aspect did not have me laughing out loud like the fabulous dark comedies of Tom Sharpe's Wilt or Tony Royden's The Dealer. So if it's belly laughs you are after, maybe best you look elsewhere.
The Sisters Brothers is written in such a way that every chapter is a tale within itself and so I found the book was easily put-downable (suitable to my lifestyle), but each chapter was enjoyable and was all relevant to the overall story. I really liked the that it was set in the in the background of the wild west (something new to the books I have been reading). Charlie and Eli Sisters are likeable rogues and I enjoyed narrative between them. I agree with other reviewers that The Sisters Brothers does have a Coen Brothers film feel to it.
If you like the occasional western with a deadpan since of humour, then this book is well worth considering.
The Sisters Brothers is written in such a way that every chapter is a tale within itself and so I found the book was easily put-downable (suitable to my lifestyle), but each chapter was enjoyable and was all relevant to the overall story. I really liked the that it was set in the in the background of the wild west (something new to the books I have been reading). Charlie and Eli Sisters are likeable rogues and I enjoyed narrative between them. I agree with other reviewers that The Sisters Brothers does have a Coen Brothers film feel to it.
If you like the occasional western with a deadpan since of humour, then this book is well worth considering.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
It can be hard reading (and then reviewing) a highly acclaimed book, particularly if you find your own opinion of it contrary to everybody else's. I had wanted to read 'The Sisters Brothers' since before it was longlisted for the Booker prize; its subsequent acclaim had me anticipating something special. Whilst in no way a bad book, I found 'TSB' to be a pedestrian tale. A tale well told, but one that failed to deliver on its promise.
The novel is narrated by Eli Sisters, one half of the notorious Sisters Brothers, murderous enforcers for an unseen crime baron called 'The Commodore'. Eli and Charlie are travelling to California, to track down Herman Warm. Warm has irritated their employer, and Eli and Charlie have been dispatched to ensure he doesn't do it again.
The period and setting are well constructed. deWitt conveys the openness of the wild west well, but what really stands out is the sense of lawlessness. Unlike most depictions of the Gold Rush era deWitt's contains no glamour; it is survival of the fittest. The strongest takes what it wants from the weak, and the weak die. The motto of almost everybody in the book is 'Get rich or die tryin'.
The novel's characters, particularly Eli, are well drawn. Charlie is a ruthless killer, Eli is on the surface a brute; violent and quick to anger, but he has another side. Eli is a dangerous man, but he is also a thinker, and he does not like what he has become. The novel explores his inner turmoil as he tries to transcend his circumstances and lead a better life. Although the style, settings and characters are entirely different, I found 'TSB' curiously reminiscent of 'Great Expectations'.
The story essentially follows Eli's pitiful attempts to change.... Read more ›
The novel is narrated by Eli Sisters, one half of the notorious Sisters Brothers, murderous enforcers for an unseen crime baron called 'The Commodore'. Eli and Charlie are travelling to California, to track down Herman Warm. Warm has irritated their employer, and Eli and Charlie have been dispatched to ensure he doesn't do it again.
The period and setting are well constructed. deWitt conveys the openness of the wild west well, but what really stands out is the sense of lawlessness. Unlike most depictions of the Gold Rush era deWitt's contains no glamour; it is survival of the fittest. The strongest takes what it wants from the weak, and the weak die. The motto of almost everybody in the book is 'Get rich or die tryin'.
The novel's characters, particularly Eli, are well drawn. Charlie is a ruthless killer, Eli is on the surface a brute; violent and quick to anger, but he has another side. Eli is a dangerous man, but he is also a thinker, and he does not like what he has become. The novel explores his inner turmoil as he tries to transcend his circumstances and lead a better life. Although the style, settings and characters are entirely different, I found 'TSB' curiously reminiscent of 'Great Expectations'.
The story essentially follows Eli's pitiful attempts to change.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent read
Didn't know what to expect with this book, but am so glad I read it. The humanity of the two brothers was so touching, they're encounters with others so extreme...a fantastic book.
Published 7 days ago by A. E. Callaway
4.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended! definitely worth Reading
A great read! Read for my book club and didn't expect to enjoy it when I read the blurb but it was compelling and the characterisation was brilliant.
Published 12 days ago by G
3.0 out of 5 stars
Just couldn't get into this
I don't know why this didn't appeal but I found it a struggle to get into it and I only finished because I hate leaving a book unfinished. Read more
Published 14 days ago by Tara Finnegan
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Coen brothers will like the Sisters Brothers - won't they?
Two men on horses encounter a series of oddball characters on a cross-country 'odyssey': travellers, stable-hands, innkeepers, prostitutes. Read more
Published 22 days ago by David Gee
4.0 out of 5 stars
A different and enthralling western
A nice take on the western story, told in the first person, and full of meandering side bars, but ultimately a tale well told of two brothers who are adventuring this way across... Read more
Published 24 days ago by J. Kidd
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quirky, offbeat but strangely compulsive reading
Fascinating portrayal of a psychopath and is slightly less psychopathic brother. Both employed as assassins in the American West, the tale focuses on their journey across the... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Susan Iacovou
4.0 out of 5 stars
You'll love it or hate it!
I, personally, thoroughly enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. Perhaps I am somewhat biased - Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid being one of my favourite films and John... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sookie
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable and easy read
After reading Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian which is a very similar type of book I wondered if this would be too similar ( I didn't really like the aforementioned book ). Read more
Published 1 month ago by superbonce
5.0 out of 5 stars
A different adventure
I surprised myself with this book. I usually read contemporary novels but when someone mentioned this and I came across it I bought it, and it was hard to put down. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Hanife
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gr8
Loved this book. It really took you into another era. Loved the chat between Eli and Warm-made you think differently about later. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mrs. C. Webb
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